The ground or floor is generally an unsanitary surface. People typically carry around bags or other articles and need to set them down. Women's handbags tend to be placed where the handbag is exposed to dirt, rough surfaces, spilled liquids or other waste. In particular, public places especially restrooms present a distinct challenge. The unprotected bottom of the handbag can become stained or damaged or covered with bacteria. Placing a bag on a rough surface can cause abrasion to the bottom of the bag to sustain wear and tear. The conventional solution is to attempt to hang or suspend the article to be protected or to simply have the article rest on the dirty surface.
Some handbag protection devices currently on the market are made of cloth. These cloth covers do not typically protect the item from wet surfaces. In addition, after using the cloth, the cloth itself becomes contaminated and the dirty cloth surface must be handled in order to remove the cloth cover from the article. Other devices include rigid fold out trays that are stands that again involve handling the contaminated surfaces in order to restow the device after use. These trays are made of a hard plastic material with an inability to conform to the shape of the bag it is in, making it cumbersome and difficult to stow.